TIME TO STEP UP: After Antonio Pierce retired this offseason, the Giants are in need of a true leader. Former Giants superstar Michael Strahan believes defensive end Justin Tuck (above) is the logical choice to step up and lead the team. Photo: Neil Miller

Just last week, Michael Strahan hung out a bit with Justin Tuck and the subject of leadership and the Giants came up.

Strahan, for more than a decade, was an outsized presence on defense, on the field and off. After he retired following the 2007 season, his legacy fortified by the stunning Super Bowl victory over the Patriots, Antonio Pierce tried to pick up the mantle Strahan left behind.

Pierce is now gone as well, last week officially announcing his retirement and it is not unfair to wonder if a defense that in 2009 draped itself in shame has anyone ready, willing and able to step forward as the leader.

“At some point somebody has to stand up and be vocal and not worry about hurting feelings, only worry about getting results and maintaining respect from the guys,” Strahan yesterday told The Post. “That’s what a leader does. They have to find somebody.”

Strahan suspects he already knows the perfect candidate.

“We talked about it last week,” Strahan said. “Tuck’s a smart guy, he’s a logical guy to be the leader, one of the ‘faces of the team’ now. Whenever you’re the face of the team that’s one of the responsibilities. I have no doubt he can do it, I have no doubt he will do it.”

Well, Strahan actually does have some doubt. Tuck at defensive end is the closest thing on the field the Giants have to Strahan, and Tuck the past two years has certainly emerged from Strahan’s considerable shadow. But he’s not a natural leader in the Strahan mold.

“You can’t make somebody do something they may not want to do,” Strahan said. “He can do it and he probably doesn’t want to do it. The thing is, if you’re a star player in New York City and you’re going to get all the perks of being a star, you’re going to be seen everywhere and everybody’s going to respect you and everybody’s going to say, ‘You’re great, you’re great, you’re great,’ and you want to be treated like a star then you need to be one.

“The reluctance I don’t understand. To me, if you want to win, you’ll do whatever is required for you to win. If it requires you to step out of your comfort zone and to be more vocal and step on some toes in order to inspire and motivate guys, that’s what the heck you got to do. Hell, that’s what I did and I didn’t apologize to nobody for it.”

Strahan, along with Jay Glazer, is once again hosting “Pros vs. Joes” on Spike TV. The season premier is Wednesday at 10 p.m., when Terrell Owens, Donovan McNabb and Antonio Gates — NFL stars who competed in college basketball — hit the court to go against former NBA players Hakeem Olajuwon, Kenny Smith and Rick Fox.